Haru no Monogatari
by Frau-chan n Yaa-chan
Summary: A collection of fairy tale involve Natsuki and Shizuru. This collection written by Frau.


**A/N:**

Ohayou gozaimas all,

this is just a collection of one shot story. nothing serious in all the story, just for fun and rest from heavy plot story.

arigatou

Frau-chan ^^

**THE FARMER AND THE FOX**

Long, long ago, there lived a farmer, Natsuki and her wife, Mai who had made their home in the mountains, far from any town. their only neighbour was a bad and malicious badger by name Takeda. This badger used to come and out every night and run across the farmer's field and spoil the vegetables and the rice which the farmer spent her time in carefully care. The badger at last grew so ruthless in his mischievous work, and did so much harm everywhere on the farm, that the good-natured farmer could not stand it any longer, and determined to put a stop to it. So, she lay in wait day after day and night after night, with a big club, hoping to catch the badger, but all in vain. Then she laid a trap for a wicked animal. She hang her underware tied to a branch and below it a hole in which she covered with twigs and leaves. She had made her own observation and from that the farmer discovered that the bad badger like to steal underware.

The farmer's trouble and patience was rewarded, for one fine day on waiting silently behind the bushes, the badger finally caught in a hole she dug with the underware in his hand. Although after looking at the badger with deep red blush, she kick the badger until he fainted. She then drag the badger securely bound with rope. When she reached the house the farmer said to her wife:

"I have at last caught the bad badger. You must keep an eye on him while I am out at work and not let him escape, because I want to give him to Mikoto, the cat goddess by the mountain for sacrifice"

Saying this, she hung the badger up to the rafters on her storehouse and went out to her work in the fields. The badger was in great distress, for he did not at all like the idea of being a sacrifice, and he thought and thought for a long time, trying to hit upon some plan by which he might escape. It was hard to think clearly in his uncomfortable position, for he had been hung upside down. Very near him, all entrance to the storehouse, looking out toward the green fields and the trees and pleasant sunshine, stood the farmer's wife cooking a curry. She look tired and displeased. Her brow frown, and every now and then she stopped to wipe the perspiration which roll down her face with a towel on her shoulder.

"Dear, lady Mai," said the wily badger, "you must be very tired doing all the cooking. Won't you let me do that for you? My arms are strong, and I could relieve you for a little while."

"No need." said the lady. "I cannot let you cook for it will taste awful afterward. and I must not untie you for you might escape if I did. My wife would be angry if she came home and found you gone."

Now the badger is one of the most cunning of animals,and he said again in a very sad, gentle voice:

"You are very unkind. I also have good taste in food also, you know. You can untied me, for I promised not to escape. If you are afraid of your wife, I will let you bind me again before she return and you can taste the food I cook after. I am so tired and sore tied up like this. If you would only let me down for a few minutes I would indeed be thankful"

The farmer's wife had a good motherly and simple nature and could not think badly of any one. Much less she think the badger was only deceiving her in order to get away. She felt sorry, too, for the animel as she turned to look at him. He looked sad hanging downwards from the ceiling and his leg tied together so tightly that the rope and the knots were cutting into the skin. So, in the kindness of her heart, and believing the creature's promise that he would not run away, she untied the cord and let him down.

Lady Mai then gave him the wooden spoon and told him to do the work for a short time while she rested. He took the spoon, but instead of doing the work as he was told, the badger knock her down. He then tied Mai and drag Mai to the mountain and leave her in the cave of mountain's cat goddess.

The farmer worked hard in her field all day, and as she worked, she thought with pleasure that no more now would her labor be spoiled by the badger.

towards sunset she left her work and turned to go home. She was very tired, but thought of nice curry Mai cooked for her. The thought that the badger will escape never once came into her mind.

the badger meanwhile assumed the lady's form and as soon as he saw the farmer approaching came out to greet her on the veranda of the little house, saying:

"so you have come back at last. I have finish cooking curry and have been waiting for you a long time."

The farmer quickly took off her straw and sat down before her tiny dinner tray. The farmer never imagine the badger is serving the curry next to her while her true wife being left in the cave. As she finally empty her bowl, she asked at once for another. Then the badger suddenly molested her by the chest and transformed himself back to his natural form and shout out:

"You stupid sexy farmer. I have grab your boobs! I have tied your big boobs wife and sent her for sacrifice to Mikoto!"

laughing loudly and derisively he escaped out of the house and ran away to his den in the hills. The farmer was left behind alone and enrage. She yell as loud as she can as she hugging herself "You stupid badgerr!". After that she stomped her foot loudly in the house still in rage.

Now, not far away, there lived in the same hill a kind, good-nature, intelligent fox, Shizuru. She heard the farmer husky voice from afar and at once set out to see what was the matter, and if there was anything she could do to help her neighbour. The farmer told her all that had happened. When the fox heard the story and see the beautiful green eyes of the farmer, she was immediately fall in love with the farmer. She then told the farmer to leave everything to her and she would avenge her. The farmer was at last comforted stop her rage, thanked Shizuru for her goodness in coming to her in her fury.

Shizuru, seeing that the farmer was growing calmer, went back to her home to lay her plans for the punishment of the badger.

The next day the weather was fine, and Shizuru went out to find the badger. He was not to be seen in the woods or on the hillside or in the fields, so Shizuru went to his den and found Takeda hiding there, for the badger had been afraid to show himself ever since he had escaped from the farmer's house, for fear Natsuki's wrath.

Shizuru called out:

"Ara-ara, why are you not out on such beautiful day? come out with me, and we will go and cut grass on the hills together."

takeda, never doubting but that the fox was his friend, willingly consented to go out with her, only too glad to get away from the neighbourhood of the farmer and the fear meeting her. Shizuru led the way miles away from their homes, out on the hills where the grass grew tall and thick and sweet. they both set to work to cut down as much as they could carry home, to store it up for their winter food. When they had each other cut down all, they tied it in bundles and start going back home, each carrying their bundle of grass on back. This time the fox made the badger go first.

when they had gone a little way, Shizuru took out a flint and steel, and striking it over Takeda's back as he stepped along in front, set his bundle of grass on fire. The badger heard the flint striking and asked:

"What is that noise. 'crack, crack'?"

"Ara, that is nothing. ma-ma." replied the fox, "I only said 'crack, crack' because this mountain is called Crackling Mountain."

the fire soon spread in the bundle of dry grass on Takeda's back. The badger, hearing the crackle of the burning grass, asked, "What is that?"

"Now we have come to the 'Burning Mountain," answered Shizuru.

By this time the bundle was nearly burned out and all the hair had been burned off Takeda's back. He now knew what had happened by the smell of the smoke of the burning grass. Screaming with pain, Takeda ran as fast as he could to his hole. The fox followed and found him lying on his bed graning with pain.

"Ara-ara, what an unlucky fellow you are!" said the fox. "I can't imagine how this happened." the fox tilted her head slightly. "I will bring you some medicine which will heal your wound quickly."

Shizuru went away glad and smiling to think that the punishment upon Takeda had already begun. She hope that the badger would die of his burns for she felt that nothing could be too bad for that animal, who is guilty of molesting Natsuki. She went home and made an ointment by mixing some sauce and red pepper together. She then carried this to Takeda, but before putting it on him, she told him that it would cause him great pain, but that he must bear it patiently because it was a very wonderful medivcone for burns. The badger thanked her and begged her to apply it immediately. But no language can describe the agony of the badger as soon as the red pepper had been pasted all over his sore back. He rolled over and over howled loudly. The fox, looking on, felt that the farmer was beginning to be avenged.

Takeda was in bed for about a months, but at last, in spite of the red pepper application, his burn healed and he got well. When Shizuru saw that the bad badger was getting well, she thought of another plan by whch she could make the creature die. So she went one day to pay the badger a visit and congratulate him on his recovery.

During the conversation, the fox mentioned that she was going fishing, and described how pleasant fishing was when the eather was fine and the sea smooth.

Takeda listened with pleasure to the fox's account of the way she passed her time now, and forgot all his pains and his month's illness, and thought what fun it would be if he could go fishing too. So he asked the fox if she could take him the next time she went out to fish. This was just what the fox wanted, so she agreed.

Then Shizuru went home and built two boats, one of wood and the other of clay. At last they were both finished and as the fox stood and looked at her work she felt that all Takeda trouble would be rewarded if her plan succeeded,a nd she could manage to kill the wicked badger now.

The day came when the fox had arranged to take Takeda fishing. Shizuru kept the wooden boat herself and gave Takeda the clay boat. The badger, who knew nothing about boats, was delighted with his new boat and thought how kind it was of the fox to give it to him. They both got into their boats and set out. After going some distance from the shore, the fox proposed that they should try their boats and seew hich one could go the quickest. Takeda fell in with the proposal, and they both set to work to row as fast they could for some time. In the middle of the race, the badger found his boat going to pieces, for the water now began to soften the clay. Takeda cried out in great fear to Shizuru to help him. But the fox answered that she was avenging the farmer and was to drown with no one to help him. Then Shizuru raised her oar and struck at the badger with all her strength till he fell with the sinking clay boat was was seen no more.

Thus at last, SHizuru kept her promise to Natsuki. The fox nor turned and rowed shorewards, and having landed and pulled her boat upon the beach, hurried back to tell the farmer everything, and how Takeda had been killed.

Natsuki thanked her with tears in her eyes. She said that till now she could never sleep at night or be at peace in daytime, thinking about how hateful she was to the badger. The badger giving her wife, Mai to Mikoto the Mountain Cat Goddess, and now she didn't have no one. The fox then change herself into a beautiful woman and stood in front Natsuki. As Natsuki stare into the fox deep enchanted eyes, she was then fall in love with the fox. She begged the fox to stay with her and share her home, be her wife. So from this day, the fox accepted Natsuki proposal and they both lived together happily ever after.


End file.
